Taking on an apprentice in Ontario: the sponsor steps for arborist and utility arborist
The steps Skilled Trades Ontario lists for an employer that sponsors an apprentice, and what its two tree trade pages say about the training the sponsor signs off.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here.
In Ontario the employer is usually called the sponsor. The hours and terms of the two tree trades are in the apprenticeships by country guide, and the England version of this page is taking on an apprentice in England. Everything below is as Skilled Trades Ontario states it on October 9, 2026.
Who the sponsor is
Skilled Trades Ontario says a sponsor is typically the apprentice's employer and is responsible for making sure the apprentice receives the training the apprenticeship program requires. It says a sponsor can be an individual, such as a certified tradesperson, a contractor or an employer, or a group such as a union, an industry association or a consortium. Group sponsorship goes through the agency directly.
The seven steps on the sponsor page
The step names in quotation marks below are shortened from the source's own step names.
- “Assess training capacity” The page lists what the sponsor or its trainers need: the facilities, staff and equipment to deliver the training set out in the trade's Apprenticeship Training Standard Logbook or Schedule of Training, the qualifications to train, time for the apprentice to attend in-school training, and compliance with Ontario law including minimum wage.
- “Sign a Sponsor Agreement” A first-time sponsor must be approved by Skilled Trades Ontario before entering a Training Agreement. Approval gives a Sponsor ID number, which is needed to register a Training Agreement. The page says the agency may ask for papers that show the capacity to train, and that the agreement can be completed online through its portal or sent by mail.
- “Find an apprentice” The page says a candidate must be at least 16 years old, have legal permission to work in Canada and meet the education requirements for the trade. It names the national job bank, Employment Ontario and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program as places to look. It also says an apprentice who began training in another province or territory can be hired, with prior learning assessed by the agency.
- “Apply for an apprenticeship” The sponsor and the candidate submit an Application for Apprenticeship Training, online or on paper when the candidate is 16 or 17 or the sponsor cannot apply online. The agency reviews it and says whether it is approved.
- “Sign a Training Agreement” Once approved, the sponsor and apprentice complete the agreement, which the agency registers. The page says it sets out the responsibilities of both sides, and that once it is registered both can apply for provincial and federal financial incentives.
- “Ensure the apprentice receives training” The sponsor reviews the training standard with the apprentice, signs off skills as they are learned and tells the agency about changes to the business or the agreement. The page says the sponsor lets the apprentice attend in-school training, that the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development tells eligible apprentices when to attend, and that apprentices qualify for Employment Insurance during that time.
- “Confirm completion” When all on-the-job and in-school training is done, the sponsor and apprentice both sign an Apprenticeship Completion Form. The agency reviews it and mails the apprentice a Certificate of Apprenticeship.
The page also describes how to end a Registered Training Agreement early: the sponsor submits an Application to Terminate a Registered Training Agreement to the agency.
Ratios
The sponsor page says that under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021, trades that have ratios must follow a ratio of one certified tradesperson to one apprentice, and that the trades concerned are listed in Ontario Regulation 876/21. It says a sponsor that falls out of a ratio, for example when a certified tradesperson leaves, must resolve it as soon as possible. The two tree trade pages do not mention a ratio.
What the two tree trade pages add
| Trade | Training time on the page | Certificates |
|---|---|---|
| Arborist | 6,120 hours: 5,400 on the job, 720 in school | Certificate of Apprenticeship, then a Certificate of Qualification after the certifying exam; non-compulsory, so no renewal and no public register entry |
| Utility Arborist | 6,000 hours: 5,340 on the job, 660 in school | Same pattern; non-compulsory |
Both pages say on-the-job training is given by a skilled worker or trainer, that the skills come from the trade's training standard, and that the sponsor or trainer signs the relevant sections as the apprentice shows each skill. Both trades are named under the Building Opportunities in the Skilled Trades Act, 2021 and are administered by Skilled Trades Ontario. Wages are not set on these pages: the sponsor page points only to Ontario minimum wage law.